: The Death of a Father
Enzo
At the last moment, Nina shoved me through the portal before I had the chance to try to stay behind. I
knew, logically, that Selena was completely and utterly lying when she said that she would let my father
and my friends live if I went with her. But my judgment was so clouded from the grief of my father’s
imminent death that I wasn’t thinking straight, and if it weren’t for Nina’s quick thinking, I would have
made the worst decision of my life.
But at the same time, for the briefest of moments, I resented her for that. I wished that I could have
tried, even if it failed. Even then, however, I loved her all the same, and I knew that she did the right
thing in pushing me through that portal.
My father and I didn’t always get along, especially after my mother died years before. That didn’t mean,
however, that I didn’t love him. In fact, quite the opposite was true: I loved my father dearly. I just
wished that I had realized that before it was too late.
And now, I was out of time.
I fell to the ground on the other side of the portal along with my friends. Nina came through just
seconds after me and fell down to the ground beside me, panting heavily. The force of our fall caused
me to drop my father, and when I came to my senses on the forest floor, I looked up to see him lying on
the ground a few feet away. His body was so frail and limp, and I instantly felt panic rise up in my throat
as I wondered if the impact was enough to kill him. I scrambled over to him on my hands and knees
and grabbed his shoulder, rolling him onto his back.
His eyes were open and blinking, and he was breathing. But he wouldn’t be for long.
I scooped my father up into my lap as he stared up at me. I had always heard that people would often
have moments of lucidity right before death, almost as though death was giving them the chance to say
goodbye. Someone who could barely breathe and was basically a living corpse just moments earlier
could suddenly sit up and have a full conversation with their loved ones.
My father was too weak to sit up, but I knew that he was fully lucid as he looked up at me.
“Enzo,” he said quietly, his voice sounding cracked and dry. “You’re a good kid. I’m sorry I never told
you that sooner.”
“It’s okay, dad,” I replied, feeling the pit of dread in my stomach open even wider. Around me, my
friends were groaning and coming to their senses. I could hear Matt, Lori, and Jessica speak in
confused, but hushed, tones. They were waking up from Selena’s spell and were certainly confused
about what happened and where they were.
But none of that mattered to me right now. I only had eyes for my father. Out of the corner of my eye, I
could see Nina sitting up on her knees close to me, but she gave us space and privacy for our last
moments together.
“I’m so sorry, dad,” I said. My throat felt as though it was closing around my words, and it caused my
voice to come out sounding choked. Part of me wondered if I would die along with my father from a
lack of air to my lungs. “I should have tried harder.”
My father only shook his head. “You did the best that anybody could have possibly done. And
besides… I’ve had a good life. Now, I’ll finally get to be with your mother.”
The pit of dread in my stomach opened even wider than before, and I felt my heart drop into it. I felt so
heavy that I thought that I could simply drop through the earth now, boring a hole straight out to the
other side.
I wished that there was something I could do. Maybe if I had found my father just a day or two earlier,
he would be okay now. Maybe if I had fought back against Selena that day that she took my father
hostage, none of this would have happened. Maybe… Maybe…
My father was always too astute for his own good, and he instantly saw my guilt-ridden face. He
reached up and clamped his hand around the back of my neck and held me firmly, forcing me to look
into his eyes. His hand was cold and his fingers were bony.
“Don’t feel guilty, Enzo,” he said sternly. “You couldn’t have stopped this. No one could. But now, you
can stop it before more people die.”
I shook my head, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment. “But how?” I said, almost in a whimper. “How
am I supposed to stop her?”
My father then looked over at Nina. I followed his gaze to see that she was now kneeling over our
friends, inspecting each of them for injuries. She was in full-blown doctor mode. Part of me wished that
she would have done the same for my father, but we both knew that he was beyond saving. Now, it
was just a matter of saying our goodbyes, and making sure that our friends were safe.
“She’s the key to everything,” he said. “She’s the missing princess. I realize that now. If you can bring
her to the Alpha King, everything will be okay.”
“But the legend,” I whispered. “The legend of the two sisters…”
My father shook his head. “Legends aren’t facts. You can change them, bend them to your will. I know
that the two of you will find a way if you just stick together. She’s your fated mate… That is stronger
than any twin bond—”
Suddenly, my father’s voice sputtered, and he coughed. A bit of spit foamed at the corners of his
mouth, and his eyes rolled back for a moment. I knew that he wasn’t going to last for much longer, and
all I could do was pull him closer in my arms, cradling him gently. I let my wolf use some of his healing
abilities to ease my father’s pain, to make his passing more gentle.
“I love you, Enzo,” my father whispered, so quietly his voice could have been mistaken for the wind.
“Don’t forget that.”
“I love you too, dad,” I replied.
But he was already gone. His eyes drifted up to the sky, and that was it.
I didn’t move for a very long time. It could have been an eternity for all I cared. I felt numb, and all I
could do was hang my head as I held my father tightly in my arms, as though holding him there would
suddenly bring him back.
At some point, I could feel my friends circling around me. They sat down around me, their hands
reaching out to touch me and rub my back, but no one said a word. Or maybe they did, and I was just
too far away from my body to hear it.
All I knew was that eventually, the sun somehow came up when I thought it never would rise again, just
as it always did… And my father was still dead, even in the golden light of the morning.
Update Chapter 233 of My Hockey Alpha by Eve Above Story
With the author's famous My Hockey Alpha series authorName that makes readers fall in love with
every word, go to chapter Chapter 233 readers Immerse yourself in love anecdotes, mixed with plot
demons. Will the next chapters of the My Hockey Alpha series are available today.
Key: My Hockey Alpha Chapter 233
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